Lunar Chaos
by KissOfTheGrimm
Summary: Up until today Hermione had never wanted to change a thing, everything she had experienced made her the woman she was; but in this galaxy, feeling this messed up, she began to regret accepting her new position among the people of Atlantis. The magic was all wrong, too strong, the lunar pull too backwards and her gums ached almost every day. Had she really made the right choice?
1. Chapter 1

First attempt at Nano andddddddd…..GO!

FYI – This is what I imagine Hermione's home to look like, but the stone wall continues around in a large square to meet the other side of the tower. Creates a large walled in garden area you know? r/ 5uiyky/ 8 (remove the spaces after the forward slash)

( I don't own this picture by the way, or the location.)

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_Cross Tower, Tote Forest, Island of Skye, December 2001_

With a sharp crack Hermione appeared in the dark night, barely missing a large pile of snow just outside the front gate. Adjusting her messenger bag she shivered and stepped through the gate, ignoring the icy feel of fingers on her skin as the wards scanned her. Weaving her way down the path to the front door she sighed, flicking her hand back and forth, tossing snow from the ancient cobblestones. She'd only have to do it again in the morning but anything to keep snow out of her pumps and her stockings dry for a few minutes longer. The heavy oak door opened without a sound and warmth enveloped her as she stepped inside the tower she called home.

It was an old tower outpost, once used for advanced warning of impending raids, by an old Scottish clan long dead and honestly she didn't care enough to remember their names; this was her home now. Maybe the old Hermione would have cared a bit more but these days, medical student Hermione didn't care about anything but her next cup of coffee, cat napping behind the nurses station and getting her field reports done on time. She was eight months from graduation and had already decided her actual residencies could wait; there were more important matters to attend to. If Hermione was honest, she didn't care about being a practicing doctor, even within the specialized genetics field, all she had attended medical school for was the knowledge to help others within the magical world.

Kicking off her shoes she left them by the door, flicking the security bar down over the door as she padded away. Thick plush carpet brushed along her feet as she passed through the living area and toward the stairs. The fire was already roaring in the fireplace, indicating someone had been by, most likely one of the Hogwarts house elves. Hermione had noticed small things like laundry being done, the icebox being stocked and a sandwich sitting out waiting for her months ago. She doubted it was Harry, he had been somewhere in Peru for the last year while Ron still had the emotional range of a teaspoon.

Mrs. Weasley wasn't exactly happy with Hermione these days because the witch had halted any attempts Molly made at matchmaking and Hermione had effectively fallen off Ginny's radar when the youngest redhead started as first line chaser for the Holyhead Harpies and attracted the attention of Oliver Wood. Hermione was sure they would announce an engagement or a baby any day so that left only one option; a Hogwarts house elf. Every time Hermione asked Headmistress McGonagall about it however, she played dumb and ignored her inquiries. Eventually Hermione gave in and stopped asking, she needed the help to make it through school and frankly she was glad someone was interested in her wellbeing. Besides, she couldn't keep buying new panties at the local boutique before her shifts at the hospital.

Scones on the inner stairwell wall caught fire as she wound her way up the tower stairs, and at one point she even stopped at one of the small windows, captivated by the moonlight bouncing off the snow. The stone was cool under her feet however, encouraging her to move once more. Reaching the small landing above the main living area she smiled tiredly at the wrapped plate of brownies in front of her bedroom door. Whichever house elf kept coming around knew what she liked, that's for sure. Stepping over the plate, silently promising to come back to it and devour at least half of the sweets, she pushed open her bedroom door and stepped inside. Dropping her bag inside the door she shucked her knee length wool coat, tossing it snowflakes and all into a heap near the end of the bed. She continued to disrobe all the way to the bathroom, leaving a trail of clothes behind. White blouse, black pencil skirt and purple garters covered the floor. Stockings too came off but with a bit more care as they were harder to replace.

After a quick shower Hermione wandered her way back out and pulled yoga pants from her dresser along with a ratty black and burgundy Quidditch jersey that may or may not have belonged to Viktor Krum at some point (she'd admit that fact over her own dead body). Forgoing her bra she brushed out her hair before pinning it up with her wand. Momentarily she felt bad, her wand hadn't been used for much these past few weeks, with her new grasp on simple wandless magic and her expansive time in the muggle world. Running her fingers lightly over the shaft of wood she felt a tingle, old magic inside responding to her touch eagerly. She still needed and loved her wand, she would always need it and tonight the old girl would get a workout.

Slipping into her house shoes she snatched up the brownies and headed back downstairs. Veering off behind the stairs instead of back to the living room she headed into the kitchen, pulling milk from the icebox, setting it and the brownies on an old tray. Reaching back into the icebox she took stock of her already prepared options, pulling two turkey sandwiches and an apple. With a quiet incantation and a flick of her wand, a thrill went up her spine at the rush of magic and the tray simultaneously began to float off the counter. Leaving the kitchen she headed back toward the living room, the tray following behind like a well-trained dog.

Crookshanks snoozed in her favorite armchair, basking in front of the fire. His ears twitched as she walked by, an eye cracked open and he rolled lazily to his stomach when she paused.

"Are you coming?"

Crookshanks snorted but sniffed, gaze moving to the tray which carried her turkey sandwiches. Turning his gaze back to her he cocked his head and meowed almost questioningly.

"Yes, of course one is yours."

The answer seemed to satisfy the half kneazle and he stretched swiftly before hopping down from the chair and preceding her down the hall. Hermione smiled ruefully and followed the bob of his tail into her study. The fireplace inside was lit as well and Hermione settled onto the worn couch that was catty corner in front of it. Her desk was adjacent to the couch and faced the fireplace as well, a large bay window behind her leather wingback chair. Hermione and Crookshanks ate in a companionable silence, her gaze drifting to the empty portrait near the window. She hadn't seen Phineas Nigellus in a few days but then again the man wasn't really interested in her, he was interested in her research. His portrait resided in her office because Headmistress McGonagall had requested it and Harry didn't care, he was in Peru. No doubt when she headed into her lab the old headmaster would appear shortly after, he had impeccable timing.

Hermione spent a few more minutes petting Crookshanks, before sending the dishes back across the stone keep and into the basin sink. Pulling an afghan off the back of the couch she piled it around the half kneazle before standing and heading over to her bookshelf. Grabbing her favorite sweater from the hook nearby, she slipped it on and grasped an old textbook on astronomy, pulling the tome from its spot on the shelf. Setting the book down on her desk Hermione came back to the bookshelf just as it finished pulling away from the wall, exposing a set of stairs similar to the others but these inevitably led down, not up.

"I'll be back Crooks."

Heading down the stairs scones lit up as they had before in the other stairwell only this time there were no windows. The air was crisp and cool, and her steps echoed softly the deeper she went. Finally the stairs opened up into a tunnel and Hermione entered her workroom shortly after, the basement cavern bigger than a visitor may have expected. Two fireplaces dotted the far wall, one already lit and the other dark. Cauldrons had been cleaned recently and were sat back in their storage cupboard, shelves dotted the walls filled with books and ingredients. The more sensitive potions ingredients were kept in another cupboard similar to Professor Snape's. Long stone tables had been scrubbed, mixing wands and other utensils gleamed in the light from the fireplace on each.

A nearby desk sat covered in books and parchment, some of the papers merely scraps and one was actually an admittance form for the hospital Hermione had scribbled on when she had thought of something a few weeks back. Waving her wand a large brass cauldron floated toward the nearest work bench and books gravitated from her desk, leaving Hermione to retrieve ingredients from her stores. Turning away from her other stores Hermione headed to the far wall near the tunnel opening, and winced at the squeak the closet door made. Walking inside she cast a quick _Lumos a_nd as her eyes adjusted Hermione found herself facing the bars of a quite fancy cage, but a cage all the same.

Inside was a comfortably decorated full size bed she'd replaced more than once, a bedside table that was bound to be next and a small desk covered in books. A small bathroom took up a corner of the cell, holding an even smaller shower, a sink and a toilet. Shaking her head she turned away and scanned the shelves opposite the cell. Grabbing the last batch of inhibitor labeled twenty-six she headed back to her cauldron. Twenty-six was almost ready, very close. It had to be tweaked and it didn't have the right length of potency but she was getting closer. The problem was she needed another test subject, another volunteer. Frankly the werewolves had begun to lose faith in her project and were reluctant to hear her out anymore. If the smartest witch of their age couldn't fix them, they were screwed. Best to move on with life as they had been before.

One wolf hadn't lost hope yet however, but then again he was too young to know there may have even been hope. Young Edward Remus Lupin was almost four years old, would be come April. Shortly after his birth he had begun showing signs, ticks if you will around the full moon. Shortly after he turned one, he had experienced his first physical change. It wasn't nearly as severe as his father's but the feral nature and outright loss of self was there. The change was hard on his small body and everyone agreed he was too young for Wolfsbane, the potion would do him more harm than good at this point. So every full moon he was locked up with pillows and blankets and snacks, toys and books. Every morning he was found in a mess of feathers, paper and broken toy wizards. Dutifully Andromeda repaired her grandson's toys and replaced them if need be, not caring how much gold she spent on him. Until he was old enough to understand there was no need to burden him, to make him unhappy. It a cure wasn't found, others would soon do it for them.

Hermione was determined to find that cure but didn't think she would find it right off the bat so instead she was starting small, creating something to inhibit the effects of the change and maybe even prevent it until the next moon cycle. She was however, running out of volunteers but had in mind someone who might just help her out.

Pulling the apple out of her pocket Hermione lit the burner under her cauldron, the one meant for the base of twenty-six before summoning another and setting it inside the cold fireplace, one that wouldn't be cold for long.


	2. Chapter 2

First attempt at Nano andddddddd…..GO!

FYI, I don't know exactly how medical school works but I'm treating it like any other higher degree; there's a required internship even before a graduate starts residencies. My description of the ATA gene probably sucks but no matter how much research I did I couldn't find anything on it. I also don't know enough or have enough time to research DNA strands where the gene was probably actually found. Sorry guys, maybe I'll fix it in the future.

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_Southern General Hospital, Glasgow Scotland, April 2002_

Hermione adjusted her hair in the mirror and straightened her blouse before slipping her white coat back on, grabbing up her files and newest blood samples, exiting the bathroom. Her heels clicked on the floor in an even staccato, announcing her presence and grabbing people's attention as she traversed the halls, heading down to the labs. She returned greetings with a smile and snuck candy from her pockets and into little hands as she went, winking at them. The last year during her internship and clinicals had done wonders for both her education, resources and reputation. Parents loved the way she treated their children and looked the other way when she slipped them lollipops and other small candies.

Patients loved being treated by her, she didn't sugarcoat things and was honest with them at all times. It didn't hurt that the older men thought she was pretty and the older women thought she was '_just a doll'_. She was now four months from graduation and would be graduating in the top ten of her class, though it took all she had to stay at number eight. Medical school was definitely hard, a challenge for sure but she had realized very quickly that her background and love for potions helped her along just a bit more than others. Instead of working harder to do better Hermione had to put effort into doing a little worse, staying under the radar but still doing well for future aspects.

Avoiding the elevator Hermione took the stairs, needing the exercise after the large piece of cake she had with her lunch, not to mention the tacos and clam chowder. She'd been living on fumes for days and her magic was running her metabolism sky high; making her eat like a Thestral. The trek down the stairs was mindless muscle memory and before she knew it she was in one of the labs two floors south where nobody but employees were allowed. As part of her coursework Hermione was allowed access to the labs and the newest equipment. Reaching in her coat pocket she pulled her hospital cards and swiped them in front of the keypad before entering her personal identification code. The red light on the pad turned green and she pushed open the door, listening to the hiss of the hydraulics as it shut seamlessly behind her.

The lab was quiet and the lights were low, it looked like nobody had been in there all day and nobody probably had been. Lab two was less used than lab one, it had more specialized and in depth equipment that was not needed every day or used by most of the staff. Hermione set her stuff down on a lab table and began turning on the lights that edged the room and cutting off the ones in the center that hovered over the lab tables.

Reaching into one of the storage cabinets she pulled out a large black microscope and set it up on the table. Plugging it in she turned it on and let it warm up, removing eye and lense covers. Hermione picked up the blood vials she had brought with her and placed them inside a nearby fridge before removing a couple slides she prepared that morning, two belonging to recent samples from Teddy and the other two belonging to a seven year old boy who had been brought in two days before with a severe chest cold and fluid on his lungs.

Hermione had chosen this boy for a reason, both he and Teddy carried an infection, only his was something a round of antibiotics and extra attention could cure. She knew it wasn't exactly moral how she was obtaining comparative samples but she didn't take any more than needed, never wrote down patient identification information and despite having to get an evasive permission form signed she had those on record too. All samples were destroyed after use and none were the wiser, at least she hoped. Pulling up a stool she removed her jacket and settled in. Teddy's samples were the same as always, normal white cell counts, no abnormal enzymes and a distinct hard shell surrounding his red blood cells. The shell glowed a silver color under the ultra violet film in the microscope. The patients samples were just the opposite, raised white blood cells and elevated enzymes indicative of his infection.

Removing the first slide from the microscope she reached for the second, not even bothering to look at the label. Slipping it into her view she adjusted the intensity of the microscope and zoomed out, scanning the sample quickly and noticing something wrong. Zooming back in Hermione isolated the view and stared deftly at the sample before flicking the ultra violet film into place. There was an odd looking particulate in the blood, almost like a spore. There were only four or five of them and they were a blue color, seeming to almost glow. Blinking she pulled away from the scope and lifted the slide, realizing it was labeled '_X37-C'_. Sliding it back into the microscope Hermione took another look, having never seen anything like this before.

There was a beep and the hydraulics on the door hissed, grabbing Hermione's attention. She raised her head and looked at the newcomer, recognizing him from the hospital cafeteria, having seen him around once or twice with a few military looking suits. They wore no patches but Hermione recognized the walk, the look and the secret conversations.

He headed straight to the refrigerators and began opening doors, pulling out drawers and glancing over sample labels. Hermione pulled the slide from her microscope and held it up.

"Dr. Beckett?"

The doctor started and turned in her direction, opening his mouth to say something but he stopped. Hermione completely turned around on her stool and brandished the slide.

"Is this yours?"

Carson closed the refrigerator he had been looking through and walked over. Taking the slide he looked at the label and nodded.

"Where did you find it?"

Hermione gestured to the tray that held her current samples.

"I found it placed with mine, not sure how it got there."

Carson reached in his pocket and pulled out a slide, holding it out to her.

"Then this must be yours."

Hermione took the slide and flipped it over, reading off her own spider-like distinct handwriting. Placing it on the microscope she took a quick look to be sure, easily identifying it in the same stages as its match. Looking away from the slide she nodded.

"Yes, that's mine. I set them up this morning, placed them in the fridge. Maybe they got knocked around or knocked over and someone put them back wrong."

Carson didn't look convinced but smiled. He held out his hand and when Hermione gripped it he squeezed slightly.

"Dr. Carson Beckett."

Hermione squeezed back and shook his hand lightly.

"Hermione Granger, almost a doctor but not quite yet."

Carson laughed.

"You'll get there. Thank you for not trashing my slide."

He turned away and waved a goodbye, headed for the door. Before she could stop herself Hermione called out to him.

"There's something wrong with your sample."

Carson stopped and turned back to her.

"Excuse me?"

Hermione bit her lip and shrugged, fidgeting on her stool.

"Don't know if you've looked at it yet but there's something odd in the blood."

Carson walked back toward her still holding the slide in his hand. Hermione held out her hand.

"May I?"

Carson nodded and Hermione took the slide, putting it under the microscope. Adjusting back to where she was before, Hermione leaned back and gestured to the microscope.

"There were a few anomalies, four or five specks that looked similar to spores and if I didn't know any better I would think they had a glow under the ultra violet spectrum."

Carson frowned.

"Ultra violet?"

Hermione nodded. She couldn't tell him she looked at a werewolf virus with it.

"I use it in my research, checking for anomalies. I use various light layers, to see what shows up. Pet project really."

Carson didn't look like he believed her but when she moved out of the way he stepped up to the microscope. Leaning in, he groped around looking for the filter switch, unfamiliar with this specific microscope; he preferred another model himself. Carson jerked when small cool fingers brushed his and then his vision brightened as the filter slid into place. Carson grinned and he heard a smothered laugh. Focusing his attention back onto the sample he reached for the zoom, adjusting it once more. Sure enough he spotted what Hermione had mentioned. Carson straightened, running a hand through his dark hair and avoiding Hermione's face. He couldn't believe this, he'd been looking for this for months, for anything that indicated the gene required to use ancient technology but hadn't been able to find anything. That was until 'not quite doctor Granger' stumbled upon his slide, filled literally with his own blood sample.

Hermione fidgeted and grabbed his attention.

"You see what I mean?"

Carson nodded.

"I think the solution for preservation is contaminated."

Hermione couldn't help the arch of her eyebrow.

"I've seen contamination but never like this and this is the only sample I've seen react like this under the filter."

Carson shrugged before pulling the sample from the microscope.

"I'll look into it, I appreciate you bringing this to my attention."

Hermione didn't bother trying to look convinced but she shrugged. This wasn't her business, not her project. Offering her hand they shook once more and as she settled back into position. Carson gave her a polite goodbye and left the same way he came.

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When the door closed behind him Carson sagged against the wall. His knees were weak and it suddenly felt like he could breathe again. Looking at the slide in his grip he had to loosen his fingers before he crushed it. Taking a deep breath he reached into his lab coat and pulled his cell phone out. Hitting speed dial he lifted the phone to his ear and began toward the stairs. When the line answered his voice was calm once more.

"You're not going to believe this."


	3. Chapter 3

First attempt at Nano andddddddd…..GO!

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_Cross Tower, Tote Forest, Island of Skye, March 2003_

Reaching up to the shelf Hermione grabbed a vial labeled thirty-nine and pulled it down, shook it and turned toward the gilded cage. Behind the bars stood a middle age man, about six foot with sandy blonde hair and an easy smile. He was dressed in a sleeveless shirt and sweatpants, barefoot and slightly unassuming. His eyes were another story, dark and wide. His skin had a fine sheen of sweat and his muscles twitched now and again.

"Are you sure about this Nathan?"

The man nodded and smiled, slightly pointed white teeth glinting in the light.

"Of course I'm ready, I'm always ready. Just say go."

Hermione laughed and passed the vial through the bars. Nathan popped the top on the vial and downed it in one go. He grimaced and stuck his tongue out.

"Still tastes like shit."

Hermione laughed again and held up her hands, what did he want from her, the thing to taste like chocolate? No medicine ever tasted great and she was pretty sure that was why it worked.

"Moonrise in about twenty minutes. Want anything else before I leave you?"

Nathan shook his bed and headed toward the shoebox sized bathroom.

"Gonna take a piss and do some reading, we'll see how thirty-nine works."

Nathan closed the bathroom door, ending the short conversation. Hermione just shook her head and left the makeshift closet space. Heading back to the work table she began cleaning things up from her research earlier that day. Number thirty-nine showed real promise, had some of the effects she was already looking for and that was why it had made it to the second phase of testing. Hermione was grateful for Nathan's help, he was one of few who had any faith left in her but considering how long she had been working at this problem she couldn't blame them. She bit her lip tightly, trying to ignore the nagging feeling that something bad was going to happen.

It had been one thing after another that day, from spilling her coffee to tripping over Crookshanks , stubbing her toes on the stairs and nearly falling down them on the way to her lab. Things weren't happening in three's, they were happening by the dozens. Shaking her head Hermione quickly wiped down the work table and banished the leftover contents of her cauldrons before sending them back to the closet. Looking at her watch she decided to leave the organization of her desk for later, the moon was going to be up in approximately four minutes and she didn't want to be in the lab. Though Nathan was locked up and in another room (if you could call it that) his senses would still be heightened if he did indeed change. Feeling her presence mere feet away would do nothing but rile him up.

Exiting the lab Hermione didn't bother closing the bookcase behind her and she headed for the kitchen, stomach rumbling after not being fed all day. Grabbing a pot of stew she prepared the night before she set it on the old fashioned wood stove, covering and adding a little magic to help it boil faster. With that settled she reached for bowls and set them on a tray, hoping Nathan would be able to share dinner with her. Spelling the pot so it couldn't boil over Hermione went back to the living room, curling up on the couch under a blanket. The fireplace was burning bright and had been for several hours because of the snow falling outside.

Snaking a hand out from under the blanket Hermione caressed a letter on the low coffee table. The parchment was thick with as many details as Harry could fit on the pages from his latest trip. He was excited and had finally gotten an offer to a quidditch team he liked and wanted to join. Two years ago he'd been offered a position at the end of his trip in Peru for their national team but hadn't really thought about a professional career. At the time he was still an Auror and had assignments waiting on his desk. In 2002 however he was approached by a representative with Puddlemere United after a regular summer pickup game on the Hogwarts quidditch pitch. The man said he knew Harry had left the Auror division and wondered if he was looking for something new, if he wanted to get serious about his talent on a broom.

Three days ago he was wooed by the Irish National Quidditch team (and probably a bit by the cute blonde keeper) and signed a five year contract to be their first string Seeker. The pay wasn't the biggest offer he'd had but he liked Ireland's ethics and the team warmed to him from the start. Victor Krum had offered him a Beater position with the Bulgarian team but Harry's first love was Seeker and Krum wasn't retiring until they made him. Plus, this way he'd get to play against the other man in the same position. Harry was starting camp in the summer and for now was staying with Krum, tearing up the town as it were. He promised to come by before camp began, as much as he could.

Hermione had sent a reply demanding they both visit, to behave themselves as best they could and more details about the cute blonde keeper. Hermione was waiting for the reply and bet the first line would be a denial of his interest in the blonde but he would go on to talk about her. Yawning Hermione pulled her arm back under the blanket and blinked slowly, maybe she'd take a short nap. She'd been up since just before dawn and had been brewing since shortly after that.

She'd nap, just for a while.

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Hermione jolted up on the couch, her blanket and wand falling to the floor seconds after a loud crash echoed downstairs. The fire had long died down and it was still dark outside, the moon barely visible. Pushing up off the couch she bent down and grabbed her wand before padding toward her office. Everything was quiet, not a sound from downstairs. Poking her head around the office doorframe she took a quick look before proceeding to the open bookcase. Quietly she went down the spiraling stairs toward her lab and paused in the doorway, not noticing anything out of the ordinary.

Heading to the anteroom containing the cage Hermione stopped short when she saw the cage door was busted off the hinges, bent in a heap on the floor and the room empty. Whipping around she gripped her wand tighter, and scanned the room. Her magic was prickling, something was definitely wrong. If Nathan had hands he wouldn't have busted down the door, which only meant he had changed. The lack of noise earlier in the night however must mean that thirty-nine worked, at least for a while. That was all well and good but that also meant Hermione was in some serious trouble unless she was able to restrain Nathan. One of the keys to any of the success's Hermione had made was the fact you couldn't mix the inhibitor with Wolfsbane, they essentially made each other useless and turned the person into a ravening monster; this had been found out early on with number twelve.

Turning around Hermione scanned the room once more, unsure where he could have gone. When her eyes landed on the storage closet where her main ingredients and supplies were kept she could swear the door moved, just an inch. Creeping forward with her wand at the ready Hermione crossed the room, a stunner on the tip of her tongue. Bracing herself she gripped the edge of the door and took a deep breath before counting to three. On two she jumped the broom as it were and ripped the door open, her body suddenly tensing and going lax when she discovered nothing inside. Straightening she sighed and ran a hand through her hair. She had no idea how Nathan could have gotten past her but she needed to search upstairs.

A noise behind her had Hermione turning back around before a searing pain cut across her back and she was shoved to the floor. A scream erupted from her mouth at the same time there was a savage snarl above her and bright red blood sprayed the wall. Hermione instantly lost a grip on her wand as claws dug into her upper back and teeth gripped her shoulder. She screamed again in pain and struggled, fear clouding her senses. Another snarl sounded behind her, this one louder than before and suddenly she was airborne. Teeth were still locked in her shoulder as she was flung upward, and effectively shaken like a rag doll.

Hermione could feel the muscles tearing in her shoulder, blood flowing down her back and chest; this time razor sharp claws were cutting into her right thigh. Her vision had tunneled and the edges were black, inching close; she could barely hear anything over the whine in her ears. A dull shout behind her barely caught her attention before Nathan swung her violently once more and this time released her shoulder. Hermione's body hit the wall near the storage closet hard, her jaw locked up and she bit her tongue.

Her body was limp and she couldn't move, she had no strength. There was another shout and Hermione vaguely recognized it as Phineas Nigellus. There was another voice as well, a loud curse, a bright red light and Nathan howling in pain. Slowly Hermione blinked and turned her head, trying to focus on the occupants in her lab. Dark robes swished in her eye sight and there was another piercing howl from Nathan. She groaned and tried to lift her arm, fingers trailing the floor for her wand. Her lips were dry and her head light; she wasn't surprised when her fingers dragged through a puddle of her own blood.

When there was another curse and Nathan was silent this time, Hermione recognized the voice. Dark clad legs came back into view and stopped just inches from her nose. When the man crouched in front of her and placed a cool hand on her cheek she sighed.

"Don't hurt him Severus."

Severus grunted before pulling away his hand, fingers bright with her blood. Crouching, he slipped an arm under her shoulders and another under her thighs and lifted her from the floor almost effortlessly. Hermione let out a sharp cry at being moved. Her body was jarred and jerked every time Severus took a step, pain lacing up and down her spine and limbs. Her skin was on fire and the wounds burned at the infection making its way into her system. Carefully the potions master set her on the work table she had scrubbed down only hours before. Hermione tried to turn her head, looking for Nathan to make sure he was still alive, still breathing; but the pain was unbearable. When she met Severus's eyes she could swear she almost saw concern before it was gone and replaced by a form of disgust.

"Look at the mess you've gotten yourself into girl. You're lucky Minerva and I were in her office when Phineas came running. You owe him your life."

Hermione nodded, throat thick with pain.

"Nathan?"

Severus scoffed, his lips twisted into a snarl.

"That excuse for an animal is fine, nothing he won't heal from."

Hermione let out an audible sigh and suddenly found it a struggle to keep her eyes open.

"Sleep girl, I'll take care of everything."

For once in her life, Hermione gave in willingly.


End file.
